It's Hard to Believe
by Amilya Eclair Farron
Summary: She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him.
1. You're Lazy

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You're Lazy  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** Edward Nygma (the Riddler), Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge, located at Lunaescene, called: _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 165  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> To be honest, this was originally going to be a _Kingdom Hearts_ drabble collection. But who knows? I may still do this for _Kingdom Hearts_... maybe… if that's allowed… *_ahem_* Anyway, this prompt was a bit hard since Nygma seems to be anything but lazy. Yet I couldn't use it on Alice because she's not [really] lazy, either, hence the shortness of the chapter.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>He had given her a fair warning, albeit it was in the form of a riddle.<p>

… Yet Alice never really was good at solving those, now was she?

"…"

Nygma, ignoring the young woman's reaction, stepped inside the command room to begin working on his next ingenious plan for his rival to take on.

_For a genius, he sure isn't organized._ Alice thought to herself as she, carefully, entered the room. Papers were strewn everywhere, mainly cluttered by the workbench to the left and it took her a moment to realize that there wasn't a bed. "… Would you like me to organize those papers for you?" She watched as he made a hand gesture, as if to say: "Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me; I'm busy."

When it came to anything and everything else, excluding his precious riddles and his obsession on defeating "the Bat", Alice learned that Edward Nygma was quite a lazy man when it came down to it.


	2. You're Stubborn

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You're Stubborn  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge, located on Lunaescene, called: _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 221  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yeah. I changed it from "_Hard to Believe_" to "_It's Hard to Believe_".  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>"Why not help people instead?"<p>

Really, it made no sense to her whatsoever.

"Question: who's the one that asks the riddles?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together, partly in annoyance. Every time she asked him something he'd answer it with a question of his own or sometimes even with a riddle. If she didn't know better, she would have been under the impression that he didn't want to answer things that were a little _too_ personal.

And… maybe that was the case.

"You do."

"_Exactly_," Nygma, whose eyes had been locked on the monitor the entire time, nodded.

Was it really that hard to answer her question? She bit her lip. "But—"

He turned halfway to face her and it was clear that he wasn't in the mood for such, as he would put it, "trivial matters", especially when he had a certain rodent that he needed to dispose of. Why did he take an interest to her again? Oh, yes. Now he remembered. That didn't mean he necessarily liked it, though… did he? Nygma glowered. "Have you ever heard the expression "curiosity killed the cat"?"

Before, Alice already had gained a good amount of sense to know that Edward Nygma, the Riddler, was stubborn.

The problem was she just didn't know how much stubbornness the man had in him until now.


	3. You Never Listen

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You Never Listen  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 182  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> _Snowfall Empress_ asked a really good question. The question: _Is this what happens after "Coming Undone"?  
><em>My answer: In a way, yes and no. See, I have a few different endings for _Coming Undone_ and so if you believe/prefer/want/like Alice ending up with Nygma then… yeah, I suppose this [kind of] does.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>She had heard enough about this "Batman" from Garfield, Dr. Crane, and few others (including Nygma himself) to know he always prevailed in the end. But what she couldn't understand was why Nygma (well, everyone really) continued his crusade in besting the Batman? Why couldn't he just use his intelligence to help people? Why couldn't he just be <em>good?<em>

Why couldn't any of them turn from their wicked ways?

Alice sighed. This place she was stuck in… it was like the Country of Hearts all over again.

And, in other ways, it wasn't.

"No, no, _no!_ That's _not_ good enough, Edward! Think!"

Turning her face towards the man clad in green, Alice watched. It was pointless, really. Why should she even _bother?_

"Wouldn't helping people be more rewarding?" She asked with a tilt of her head and waited for him to throw a riddle back at her; however, Nygma continued to talk to himself.

… _Is it really _that difficult_ to listen to what I have to say?_

Sometimes, now, she was starting to question herself on why she had chosen him.


	4. You Always Have to Be Right

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You Always Have to Be Right  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 180  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I like how this one turned out. :)  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>She knew that he was up to no good – he was <em>always<em> up to no good. Part of her wasn't quite sure if she was thankful that he left her in the dark or upset about it. And yet… her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. It hardly made any sense because she knew his schemes were the opposite of good. So why was she dying to know what he was plotting?

Finally curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't even cast a glance at her. "Things you have no need of knowing."

Her eyes narrowed, "And why _not?_" For Heaven's sake! It wasn't like she was going to run off and tell the Batman! What harm would be done if he told her?

"Alice."

She scowled but nonetheless faced him and was quite surprised to find him staring back at her. Edward's intense gaze never wavered.

"It's because you _don't want to know_."

Alice felt her irritation melt away and her eyes softened.

Why did he _always_ have to be right?


	5. You Have a Temper

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You Have a Temper  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 305  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> We have now reached the halfway point. Anyway, I had a hard time with this prompt. The first time I wrote this it came out a little too dark for my taste.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>Dr. Crane had told her, what felt as long ago, that the residents of Arkham City were all mad. Well… excluding the Black Gate prisoners and the politicians and her too. How they each had their own "hobby", as he had put it. Like there was Mr. Tetch with his sick obsession over her and Wonderland; Harley Quinn with her sick, love for the Joker; Zsasz with his marks; Poison Ivy with her "save the trees and plants nonsense"; Mr. Freeze with his search of finding a cure for his wife; the Riddler with his riddles; him with phobias. And made sure that the warning her was clear: that just because the rogues were all taking an interest in her didn't mean it was for the better.<p>

"_Take Zsasz, for an instance." Dr. Crane began as she tried to quell her nerves. "The only reason he has taken an interest in you is to add another of his precious marks to his skin."_

At the time she hadn't understood what the doctor meant.

When he finished giving a few more examples he then went on to warn her about how capable they were under different types of circumstances. Just how mad they could go – literally and emotionally – if what they wanted, what they planned for, didn't turn out the way they wanted. It was why they agreed she shouldn't remain alone with Tetch under any circumstances.

But when the day came, when she chose to stay with Edward Nygma, the "good" doctor had pulled her aside to remind her what had said. Her response was a gentle smile and few words explaining that she knew; however, Alice just never knew how badly of a temper Nygma had until today.

And all because of a man, who dressed as a bat, had beaten his complex puzzle.


	6. You Can Be Extremely Childish

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You Can Be Extremely Childish  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 96  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Because let's face it… Eddie _does_ act a bit childish when it comes to the Dark Knight "cheating".  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>"<em>Impossible!<em> How…? He cheated. He must've!"

Alice didn't bother to look up from the book she was reading.

"There's no way he could've solved it!"

Her fingers turned the page and she continued to read.

"_Cheating_ is _against_ the rules, Dark Knight!"

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she snuck a (mildly annoyed) glance in the Riddler's direction; he was, at the moment, completely oblivious to her glare. "I _know_ you're listening! And I've told you hundreds of times that cheating is against the rules!"

… No wonder Garfield wanted her to reconsider her choice.


	7. You, HEY!

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You… HEY! DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 262  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And this prompt applies to Eddie instead of Alice. But that's alright, isn't it? ;)  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>"No, no, <em>no!<em> That's not good enough, Edward! You can do better than that. All you have to do is find the answer to the riddle – only then will your victory will be guaranteed. Now try harder!" His voice was beginning to give her a headache from the constant increase and decrease in volume; however, part of her was curious as to how his voice hadn't gone raw yet from the yelling. But… did it really matter? No. No, it did not. "Maybe by combining this and that – yes… that could work! … No, it won't. That _still_ isn't good enough!"

She shook her head, eyes filled with bits of disappointment. What was the meaning behind all of this? What drove him to feel that he needed to prove something? Why did he feel the need to prove something?

"I know, I'll—Alice?" Oh, so _now_ he finally decided to notice her? After how many, what? Hours, days, maybe a week even? It certainly felt longer than that. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" He didn't even try to hide his displeasure.

"I'm going to stay with Garfield."

"Why?"

"Because, Mr. Nygma, he doesn't have this… this… compulsion to prove something!"

Nygma stared at her, mildly curious yet mainly annoyed. What was she babbling on about now? More importantly, couldn't this wait until he finished with his work? He pinched the bridge of his nose. "We'll discuss this behavior of yours once I—Alice! Don't you dare even _think_ about walking—"

_Slam!_

Well.

That obviously went rather well.

...

Not.


	8. You Can Be Such a Jerk Sometimes

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You Can Be Such a Jerk Sometimes  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Garfield Lynns (Firefly), Mentioned!Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell, Onesided!Garfield Lynns (Firefly)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 281  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This one made me sad for Garfield (since, yes, I do pair him and Alice together too). And because there's only two more prompts after this one.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>To say that the arsonist received quite the surprise when he found Alice standing on the other side of the door would be an understatement.<p>

At first, he came to the conclusion that Nygma must've been the reason responsible for the brunette's arrival at his hideout – but not for the reasons he had assumed. Garfield listened, showing his support for her, as she ranted on and on about the Riddler.

"I just can't understand it, Garfield." She said with a tired sigh. "I mean, it's true that I don't want to know what it is he's plotting and scheming. And yet, I want to understand what drives him to do all this horrid acts against the innocent – why he refuses to use his services, his talents, for the good of mankind. But whenever I ask him he always responds with a riddle!"

Yeah, it was safe to say that he wasn't at all surprised by that bit of information. But instead he gave her a nod and gently squeezed her shoulder in comfort. He remembered when she had told him her choice and it took him a few days for it to sink in – that she had chosen Nygma over him. But did this mean that she changed her mind – now that she truly got to see just who the real Edward Nygma was?

He swallowed.

"Really, why does he have to do that?" Well, maybe it's because it was in the guy's nature? "Honestly, he's such a… a… _jerk_."

This time, he blinked.

Not because he was surprised about the fact that Nygma was, indeed, a jerk. But because it was Alice, out of all people, who had said it.


	9. You're Easily Jealous

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: You're Easily Jealous  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler), Garfield Lynns (Firefly) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell, Onesided!Garfield Lynns (Firefly)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 309  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Is it a bad that I had fun with this prompt? No, it's not? Good.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>"I'm here to collect Alice."<p>

"She's not some trophy, Nygma; she's a _human being_."

Both males were sneering at the other. To Alice, it felt as if she'd spent days with Garfield yet in reality it had only been a few hours. It never once crossed her mind that he'd show up in less than three hours because, honestly, didn't he say he never had time for her nonsense? So why was he here? He could be getting so much done now that she wasn't there to bother him.

"I _know_ that, you insolent pest. But she's staying with me, do you not recall? Besides, she only wanted to visit with you. And, considering how dark it's getting, you know how unsafe the streets are during this time. Even if these idiots know not to mess with her, you never know what they'll try to do once it's nightfall." It was said in a matter-of-fact tone, but when his eyes made contact with hers there was something in them that told her that that wasn't just the reason why he came.

And she knew that look. That emotion, whether hidden behind a mask or openly shown, she knew it all too well.

Garfield said something about how he could drop her off – _if_ and _when_ she felt like it – which only made Nygma scowl in response. This banter back and forth continued until Alice shook herself from her thoughts and told the blond that it was alright. He didn't hide the look of disappointment; Nygma smirked as if he won the game.

It wasn't until they were back at his hideout, when he started to open his mouth to scold her for her actions earlier that day, when she beat him to it.

"Garfield and I are only friends. There's nothing for you to be jealous about, you know?"


	10. Despite All This, I Still Love You

**Title:** It's Hard to Believe  
><strong>Prompt<strong>: Despite All This, I Still Love You  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Crossover: _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice  
><em>**Characters:** _Batman: Arkham City_: Edward Nygma (the Riddler) ; _J/C/H no Kuni no Alice_: Alice Liddell  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Edward Nygma (the Riddler)/Alice Liddell  
><strong>Summary:<strong> She understood the surprise the others must have felt when she made her decision because, honestly, she had been a bit surprised herself. But now it was starting to become clear why it was hard to believe that she had chosen him. : This is a response to the challenge _1o Little Things… _by Katz Go Rawwwrr.  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 386  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well. It's the end. Some ways, I'm kind of sad since I had fun with these prompts (just like the _Seven Days_ one) yet I'm sure I'll do something like this again.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Mild!OOC-ness(?)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> _Batman: Arkham City_ & _Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice_ do not belong to me in any shape or form (including characters). Thank you.

* * *

><p>Unlike the residents of the Country of Hearts, the people here in this world possessed hearts. They're society was of the same that she came from with how the laws worked and such. But the only difference was that in her world there were no crazy psychopaths causing mayhem and misery to the innocent with a man, dressed as a bat about, running about to stop them. Yet they – the residents of Arkham – were just as crazy, if not more so, as some of the people (because Julius, Boris, Elliot, and a few faceless ones all acted normal under the circumstances so they were excluded) in the Country of Hearts.<p>

And, thought it should baffle her, Alice remained here – in the dreaded part of the city called Arkham City – with the Riddler. Why? Why did she chose to stay here, with him, when he didn't bother to hide the fact of his plotting and scheming that would (eventually) lead up to hurting innocent people? Garfield at least tried to hide the fact of what he was doing, but Nygma… he openly showed her, even though he never told her what it was that he was doing.

And Riddler was thinking the exact same thing albeit differently. It was true – the reason why he was interested in dear Alice Liddell was due to the fact that she drew so many close to her: the Mad Hatter (no surprise there), Dr. Crane, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Catwoman, the Joker, and so many others. Really, it was a puzzle to him that needed to be solved. Still did, actually. Yet somewhere along the way the need to solve this confounded riddle began to not be that strong of a pull as it had been before.

And it's been that way since _that day_ happened.

He didn't know why he offered to let her stay with him. Yes, yes; he wanted to solve the riddle that encased her, but at the same time…

Neither were _quite_ ready to admit it yet (perhaps Nygma never would be) but the answer was in the back of their minds. It was why she chose him and why he kept her under his wing.

Simple as that.

Well. Not so simple for them perhaps. Seeing, as stated before, neither was ready to admit it.


End file.
